Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Project 365 Backlog (117/365): The Amazing Jonathan

.:117/365: The Amazing Jonathan:.

The man known to others as John Edward Szeles, the Amazing Jonathan, is arguably the most successful solo comedy magic act of all time. Yes, that includes having a more profitable career than stellar acts like Michael Finney and Tommy Cooper.

The Amazing Jonathan’s schtick is fairly interesting in that he is really more in the realm of comedy, much like Michael Finney, who actually has a pretty good pure standup comedy set himself. Jonathan is also a member of the all-star group, “The Madmen of Comedy and Magic,” finding himself in the same league as Michael Finney in that particular group.

With a gimmick that appears to owe a lot to Tommy Cooper’s distinct look plus bumbling style, the Amazing Jonathan appears to be a very interesting spin on that established archetype, since unlike Cooper, he had Las Vegas as a venue to ply his trade in. While Tommy Cooper’s long TV career may have brought him a lot of fame over the years, not only is Jonathan finding that Vegas is arguably more rewarding for him, he also has far less personal demons to contend with than Tommy cooper had to.

This man has made his mark in comedy and magic, and his really brazen style of performance is something I admire and am very impressed with. For any budding new aspiring magicians, I hope these small features on various people has you taking notes and considering people who could inspire you to become even better than you already are.